It was Imam who revealed the medallion held further instructions on its reverse side, integral to calculating the precise location of the Ark on Tanis'Map Room floor. He also mentioned a warning to not disturb the Ark, which would later prove crucial for Jones.[2]

Five years later, in August 1941, Indiana Jones sought out Imam at his desert abode in the Sinai Peninsula while seeking help in the decryption of an inscription he was using to unravel the mystery of Mount Sinai and discover what the Nazis were looking for there.[3]

In the novelization, Imam explains the warning to not disturb the Ark in further detail, not to touch it with bare hands, open it, nor gaze into it, saying God would show no mercy.

In Islam, an imam is a leader of a mosque and/or community who leads prayer during gatherings. Indiana Jones sources vary on treating "Imam" as the character's name (as it is in the script) or his position.